Nightmares
by totaldile
Summary: In which four girls have nightmares, and wake each other up because of it.
1. Chapter 1

**This is Part I of a two-part White Rose/Bumblee fanfic I've thought about these past few days. This part focusses on White Rose, the relationship between Ruby and Weiss. The next part, Part II, will focus on Bumblebee, Blake and Yang's relationship. I hope you enjoy!**

Weiss Schnee was not unaccustomed to waking up to darkness in a cold sweat. It left her with a sticky, unclean feeling, the sheets glued to her skin like a white prison. When she was younger, she'd have struggled and panicked until she tumbled out of bed, and would wander down the hallways, calling out for someone, anyone until her tiny legs failed her and she curled up in a corner. Nowadays, she'd become so used to the feeling of waking up with a choking feeling, her heart seizing up, that it only took a few moments to realise she wasn't there anymore, she was safe. Well, safer, at least.

Too bad the memories followed her wherever she went. It didn't make those moments in her dreams any less real. They'd still happened, or maybe they were still going to happen. Whatever the cost, Weiss didn't want to go back home.

The ice queen gazed around the room, though it was swathed in darkness. She couldn't see Blake or Yang in their beds, but by the lumps beneath the sheets, she assumed they were both fast asleep. Yet, peculiarly, the door stood slightly ajar. Weiss assumed it would have been one of the others, taking a midnight bathroom trip. Whatever the reason, it let in the breeze, bathing the room in frosty air.

Just as she was about to peel away the sheets from skin, and go to close it, she heard a squeak from above her. Weiss creased her eyebrows. She used was to hearing Ruby shift around in her sleep, she'd assumed the girl was naturally an uneasy sleeper. As Weiss settled back under the covers, she heard a sniffle. The girl's eyes opened, irritated. This was unacceptable, she decided as she heard yet another sniffle come from above her.

"Ruby," Weiss hissed, standing on the frame of her bed and peering over the frame of Ruby's, "what the hell are you-"

Weiss cut herself off as she saw Ruby, knees hunched to her chest, and tears falling down her face. As soon as the girl saw Weiss staring at her, she wiped her eyes and put on a false smile, sitting upright. The girl's body shook.

"O-oh, sorry Weiss, did I wake you up?" she said, her voice trembling and quavering. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Ruby…" Weiss cut her off with a 'shoosh' to the girl's lips. "…why are you crying?"

Ruby looked from side to side, wiping her eyes again before returning her gaze to Weiss. The little light coming from the hallway shone on the wet streams on the girl's cheeks, making it obvious for all to see that the girl had been crying.

"What do you mean? I'm not-" Ruby tried.

"Ruby." Weiss cut her off again, insistently, and narrowed her eyes. "Tell me why you're crying."

Silver eyes met blue, and they locked, staring for a moment, and then another, and then another. Finally, Ruby seemed to realise Weiss wasn't going to relent, and exhaled, softly. Weiss felt her breath, warm and ragged, on her cheeks.

"I…had a nightmare," Ruby admitted, hunching her shoulders. "When I have nightmares usually, I go sleep in Yang's bed, but…"

The girl looked behind Weiss, at the bunk beds on the opposite side of the room. From where the ice queen had looked before, they'd looked like the two girls had been sleeping peacefully beneath the blankets, but standing up? It was blatant Yang Xiao Long and Blake Belladonna were elsewhere.

"…but, Yang isn't here and I don't know where she's gone." Ruby finished, drawing her knees to her chest again. Her voice wavered again, and Weiss knew she was about to cry. Yet, what struck the blue-eyed girl the most was the way Ruby sounded…just like a little kid.

Weiss suddenly came to the realisation that maybe the reason for Ruby's disturbed sleep wasn't so innocent after all.

Before Ruby could say anything else, Weiss began to pull herself atop Ruby's rickety bed.

"W-weiss?" Ruby stammered, "What are y-you doing?"

Weiss said nothing, instead focussing on climbing up. Suddenly, her knees slipped, and Weiss felt her heart compress as she began to fall-

-and then stopped. Ruby's hands gripped her arms, holding her up. Weiss inhaled sharply, then allowed Ruby to help her climb all the way up.

On top of the bed, Weiss felt...unsteady. Still shaken from her own nightmare, the creaking and swaying of the bed did nothing to calm her nerves. Ruby stared at her questioningly, tears still forming at the corners of her silver eyes.

This was Weiss's responsibility, as the best teammate ever, right? At least, that was how the ice queen justified it as she crawled behind Ruby, and leaned into her, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist and pulling her close. The blue eyed girl felt Ruby press back against her body, and she rested her chin on Ruby's shoulder.

Weiss knew she had to take the first step – Ruby Rose was far too dense to know how to deal with tough emotions. But Weiss? She knew nightmares like the back of her hand.

"I get nightmares too," she breathed, keeping her voice soft. "Every night, sometimes."

Ruby seemed to relax into Weiss's awkward embrace, but then the silver eyed girl turned around, hugging herself close to the ice queen. Weiss felt herself fall backwards, crashing to her back with a quiet thud. The bed creaked, sending pangs of nerves into her stomach.

"What do you think you're doing, you dolt!?" she hissed, feeling Ruby wrap her arms around her torso, then bury her face into her chest. The girl sniffed, hiccupping, and Weiss felt a little guilty. They lay there, on their sides, for moments and moments. The blue eyed girl stroked Ruby's hair rhythmically with the back of her hand, gently murmuring 'shh' over and over again until Ruby's shuddering subsided.

Eventually, Weiss mumbled, "Are you okay now, Ruby?"

Slowly, the girl's breathing returned to normal, and after a few stretched-out moments, Ruby nodded, her grip on Weiss's waist loosening just a little. The ice queen held Ruby's shoulders, putting a little distance between their faces so she could look the girl in the eyes.

"Now," Weiss breathed, "are you going to tell me what's wrong?"

Ruby avoided Weiss's eyes at first, looking away.

"You're not…mad at me?" Ruby asked, refusing to meet her partner's gaze. Weiss shook her head, keeping her expression.

"I can hardly be mad at you when you've had a nightmare, you dolt," she mumbled in response, stroking Ruby's hair again. Ruby's face curved into a tiny smile, and Weiss felt a little shocked.

Had she really been that upset simply because she thought Weiss had been mad at her? The ice queen wasn't sure whether to feel wounded Ruby thought she'd be mad at her because of something like or flattered Ruby cared so much about her opinion.

"You're fine," Weiss admitted, and she saw Ruby's mouth curve into something resembling her normal, goofy smile. "Now, tell me about your stupid nightmare so I can go back to bed and get some sleep."

Ruby hugged Weiss closer to her, smile unfaltering, causing the bed to sway and rock. Weiss instinctively grabbed onto Ruby as fear and anticipation forced her throat to seize. Ruby must have taken that as a sign of acceptance, as she snuggled closer to Weiss, pressing their bodies even closer together, and tucking her head in the nook beneath Weiss's head, and above her chest. After a few moments of awkwardness, Weiss relented, and rested her chin atop the girl's head, wrapping her arms around the girl's waist. Ruby was warm, Weiss noted. Despite the draft coming from the open door, she didn't feel cold.

"My nightmare," Ruby began, mumbling into Weiss's chest, "was about my mother. Her name was Summer."

Ruby seemed to tense up a little, as she retold her bad dream. "My parents were hunters; we lived on the edge of Remnant, just the four of us in a little house – my mother, my father, Yang, and me."

The silver-eyed girl pulled Weiss closer, burying her face in the older girl's neck. Weiss reluctantly tightened her grip on the younger girl as Ruby started to tear up again.

"But one day, a whole bunch of Ursii attacked the village," Ruby continued, trying to keep her voice from wavering. "A-and then….my mother d-died protecting me and Yang."

Ruby exhaled heavily, seemingly satisfied she'd gotten out that much without breaking again. Weiss felt something wet dribble down her shoulder. The younger's tears were cool, cold against her skin, and Weiss just wanted to wrap herself in something warm. Slowly, the ice queen felt the younger girl's goofy smile return to her lips, until she could feel Ruby giggling into her neck. It tickled, almost, but the older girl refused to react. That would be silly.

"Thanks, Weiss, for listening," Ruby murmured, cuddling closer to the older girl. Weiss rolled her eyes.

"If you're feeling better, can I go back to bed now?" she said, yawning, and motioning to get off of the bed.

'No!" Ruby suddenly protested, her face falling, and clung to Weiss like a baby sloth. The ice queen sighed, falling back down sideways

"What is it now?" she asked, rolling her eyes again.

Ruby pouted, staring straight into Weiss's eyes. "I told you about my bad dream. You have to tell me about yours."

Weiss groaned, yawning. "Do I have to?" she said, scratching her head. Ruby nodded fervently Weiss groaned again.

It wasn't like it was something she wanted to revisit any more often than she had to, anyway.

Regardless, Weiss sighed. She wasn't going to get any sleep tonight unless she played along with her partner's wishes.

"You know how I said my family has always been the victim of White Fang attacks?" Weiss said, breaking their mutual gaze, her eyes occasionally flicking back toward Ruby. "I wasn't kidding. Ever since I was tiny, people around me have been dying." Ruby's eye were sympathetic, like a tiny dog's. Weiss tried not to look at her, and closed her eyes.

"Watching friend after family friend die can be somewhat traumatic for a child," she finished bitterly.

Ruby, like a mirror of what Weiss had done only moments before, held Weiss by the shoulders, worry and concern on her face.

"Weiss! You should have talked to me about it! We're teammates, aren't we?" Weiss could hear the hurt in Ruby's voice, and she didn't like it. Hadn't she told herself she was going to be the best teammate ever?

"Shouldn't you have told me about your own nightmares?" Weiss retorted huffily, turning her head away, and refusing to make eye contact.

Yet, instead of more wounds, as she'd expected, the younger girl wrapped her arms around Weiss, burying her face into the ice queen's chest.

"Well then," Ruby mumbled, "maybe we've both been keeping secrets. We should be more honest, shouldn't we?"

She finished her sentence with her signature goofy grin, and chuckled into Weiss's shoulder.

"…I guess," Weiss admitted, letting Ruby bury into her chest. The younger girl just chuckled, hugging Weiss close to her.

After a few minutes of cuddling Ruby, Weiss acknowledged she wasn't going to get any sleep in her own bed that night. So, instead, she said one last thing.

"You know, Ruby," Weiss began, trying not to blush, "if you have a nightmare, you're just going to wake me up if you try and go to Yang. So…"

Weiss felt her face go a little hot, but hid it by resting her chin atop Ruby's head. "Mmhmm?" Ruby grunted in acknowledgement.

"…you should just come wake me up. I won't get mad at you, I promise."

Weiss exhaled smoothly, releasing the tense breath that had accumulated as she'd built up the boldness to say what she'd just said. Ruby just giggled, giving the ice queen's torso a little squeeze.

"You got it, Weiss," the younger girl replied, smiling into Weiss's neck.

Weiss sighed, accepting her fate and snuggling closer to the warmth that was Ruby Rose.

"Good night, Ruby," she said, closing her eyes.

"Good night, Weiss," Ruby replied, yawning. "I love you."

"I lo-" Weiss's eyes flew open as her face turn a pale shade of pink. "Wait, w-what?"

Ruby sat up suddenly, her face much the same colour.

"I-uh, it was an accident! I swear!" Ruby stammered, "I-its 'cause I always say good night like that to Yang! I-I'm sorry!"

Weiss lay back down, her face still hot. "W-whatever," the ice queen said. "It doesn't matter."

Ruby nodded, slowly relaxing back into Weiss's arms. The older girl marvelled at just how warm she was, and wondered why the bed suddenly felt so welcoming. She didn't even feel like pulling up the covers - just the body heat between the two of them was enough. Eventually, she felt Ruby's hold on her slacken, and the younger girl's breathing slowed. She was probably asleep.

"I love you too, you dolt," she breathed, closing her own eyes, and letting herself drift away in what she hoped would, for once, be a peaceful sleep.

Weiss was asleep before she could feel Ruby's lips curve into a small, pleased smile.


	2. Chapter 2

Blake Belladonna was used to sleepless nights. Maybe it was her heritage as a Faunus, her natural leanings towards nocturnality, or perhaps it was her past with the White Fang trailing at her heels wherever she went. Either way, the Faunus girl was not unaccustomed to the quiet of the night.

Most of her roommates maintained relatively silent sleeping patterns. Ruby often tossed and turned, as Blake imagined, much to the ire of Weiss. The ice queen, however, kept precisely still as she slept – on her stomach, facing the wall, body straight. The quiet girl couldn't imagine sleeping as such, as she preferred to keep her knees curled to her chest – but maybe how one slept was indicative of one's personality. Expectedly, the only one to take midnight bathroom trips was Ruby. Blake wondered if it had something to do with the girl's restless sleep. Either way, it wasn't as if it bothered her too much. Blake wasn't going to get that sleep anyway. The only one who did seem to mind was Weiss – Yang was often dead to the world, and Blake didn't really mind. Of course, there wasn't much about the silver-eyed girl that didn't annoy the ice queen, so Blake just took it as another facet of their…complex partnership.

Yang, above her, was thankfully not a snorer, despite having all the trappings of the stereotypical. Of course, Yang had to sleep in the most haphazard way possible, leaving Blake to marvel at how the limbs that dangled off the side of her bed didn't get cold.

But for now? No limbs obscured her view, and though Ruby occasionally turned on the other side of the room, it was silent.

Perfect for her memories haunt her, and for her mind to manifest more scary possibilities. Yet beyond it all, Blake was torn.

It wasn't an easy discussion to have – most of the people she talked to about the White Fang had polarising opinions – either the White Fang was a pure organisation doing what was necessary for racial equality, or they were a terrorist organisation who proved the Faunus were scum. For Blake? She so desperately wanted to believe that the White Fang had the best intentions, but she was slowly coming to the realisation that maybe they'd made a huge mistake. Torchwick wasn't to be trusted, she knew, but it still hurt to think her ex-partners – her friends? – had gone down such a dark road. It was…hard to accept.

Sighing, Blake gazed around at the room. She could see almost perfectly, despite the night's darkness. Being of the Faunus did have small benefits, she supposed. Both of the two girls across were fast asleep, judging from their stillness.

However, suddenly Blake heard movement from above. Yang's legs swung down from above her, and the golden-haired girl landed on the ground below with a tiny thump. The raven-haired girl was surprised Weiss didn't wake up, light sleeper that she was. Yang didn't seem to notice Blake's gaze as she tiptoed out the door, failing to fully shut it behind her.

For Yang, this was extremely unusual behaviour. Not once had Blake see her move from her slumber – though the girl was prone to early-morning bathroom rushes. No, this was out of character. Keeping as silent as she could, Blake followed her, footsteps making no sounds as she crept out of the room, in an effort to discern the golden-haired girl's intentions.

Outside, Yang paced down the hallways, walking right down to the end. Blake followed her, keeping close to the wall in the hopes she'd be able to hide in the darkness should the one she pursued turn around. The walls, painted white concrete, felt cool against her skin, though the plushy grey carpet beneath felt soft, and nice to walk upon. Eventually, Yang stepped out onto the balcony of the first floor, overlooking Beacon's courtyard.

The outside air was bitter against Blake's skin, but Yang didn't seem to feel the cold. The golden-haired girl leaned on the railing, gazing into the night. Blake was careful not to make a sound as she peered out from the doorway, listening to…the sound of nothing. Yang wasn't saying a word. Blake internally reprimanded herself – what had she expected? Yang to start talking to herself? Instead, the golden-haired girl remained silent, apparently musing on something.

Blake wondered what exactly Yang would have to think about at this time of night – or morning, if she was to be accurate. It didn't really matter, though. The sky was still pitch-black and salted with stars, and it was still just as cold. She shivered, starting to feel the chill in her bones.

Yang sighed, running her hands through her hair. Whatever she was concerned about, it seemed to be really bothering her. Yang wasn't someone who let on easily that she was upset – she'd always try and play it off with a smile and a bad joke. It was something that impressed Blake, really. The raven-haired girl felt like she was too easy to read – Weiss was able to easily pick up whenever she acted just a little more aloof than usual.

"Blake?"

The raven-haired girl's heart thumped. Whilst she was lost in thought, she must have faltered – made a sound, or forgotten to hide properly. She cursed her lack of stealth.

However, instead of flames appearing, and her eyes turning red, Yang's lips formed a soft smile.

"Can't sleep either?" she offered, tilting her head in a summoning gesture. Blake looked to the side, smiling a little and nodded, joining her partner out on the balcony. Yang smiled warmly at her as the two came to stand side by side, Blake holding onto one of her arms with the other. She still felt as if she'd done something wrong, and she couldn't peel that feeling away from her stomach, that feeling of guilt and shame. She wanted to tell herself that it was only Yang, and that she wouldn't mind, but it still felt like an invasion of privacy.

"Did you follow me because you wondered why I got up in the middle of the night?" Yang asked, tilting her head again. She seemed to have to have little of her usual, her flame not burning like a fireball but instead like the dying embers of a fireplace. It was a startling contrast.

Blake nodded. "You don't usually get up in the middle of the night."

Yang nodded, turning back out to stare at the night with ashen eyes and leaning on the railing again.

"Nightmares tend to do that to you, I guess," she said, with just a hint of bitterness in her voice. "Aren't I pathetic? Nightmares are for kids." Blake shook her head.

"No," she said, more strongly than she'd intended. Yang suddenly turned her head back to the raven-haired girl, gazing at her with widened eye and raised eyebrows.

Blake avoided her gaze, turning away to hide her slight embarrassment.

"It's not pathetic," she said, with conviction. "Everyone has something in the back of their mind that haunts them."

Blake's words left her lips with a touch of bitterness, and a touch of regret. It was true; no matter how far you ran, or how long you waited, there were some things you could never escape no matter how hard you tried. In the end, they'd always manifest, at some point, as nightmares.

Though she didn't say it aloud, Yang seemed to get the gist of what she meant, and smiled in return. It was like their unspoken language – Yang would lead, and Blake would just roll her eyes and play along. If she ever wanted to say something, fewer words said more. Blake really appreciated that sort of relationship – dealing with Ruby's verbal diarrhoea and Weiss's icy comments could sometimes leave one more than a little tired.

"Hehe, thanks. I guess you're right," she said, looking down and still a little unconvinced.

The wind slowly began to pick up, turning from the gentle breeze it had been before to a slightly more aggressive gust, throwing cold air at the two with mirth. Blake failed to resist the urge to shiver. Yang picked up on it in milliseconds.

"You cold?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

"You're not?" Blake retorted with confusion. Yang just grinned, walking behind the taller girl.

Then, she hugged Blake from behind. It took all of the raven-haired girl's strength not to completely freeze up in surprise. Slowly, she began to relax into it as Yang's immense warmth chased away the threat of the bitter wind.

"I never get cold," Yang said, resting her chin on the taller girl's shoulder. "Better?"

Blake nodded, turning her face away to hide the slight tinge of pink that had spread across her face. This was…unexpected. Yet, at the same time, it was also…kind of nice. Yang inhaled softly.

'Your hair smells nice."

It was such a random comment that Blake nearly forgot what they'd been talking about only seconds before. After standing still for moments and moments, she began to feel more and more melancholic. Yang's smiled dropped from her face, and she nestled into Blake's hair. Blake tried to keep a straight face.

"You know, I'm scared a lot. Did you know that?" Yang said, resting her chin back on Blake's shoulder. "Scared of losing you guys – Ruby, Weiss," Her voice began to fall.

"You," she added, leaning into the taller girl as if to close some non-physical distance between them.

"When I was little, me and my family were attacked by Ursii. You probably haven't heard that part before."

Blake's ears twitched involuntarily. Her bow thankfully stayed in place. You never knew who was watching.

"One got into the house," Yang continued, voice shaky. "And attacked me and Ruby."

Blake inhaled sharply.

"I wanted to do something, but god, I was only like seven. There was nothing I could do. Ruby was terrified." Yang's eyes glistened wet lavender, and Blake felt the urge to turn around. "Our mother decided to take it on, to protect us. She won, but," Yang bit her lip.

"She died."

It was almost like an anti-climax. Blake had been expecting it, but…it hit surprisingly hard.

"It's kind of like, y'know, I was so useless that I couldn't do anything, y'know?" Yang tried to laugh, but it came out as a bitter symphony of regret. "I know it's stupid, but I just wish I could have done something – anything. Maybe then Mom would still be alive, and maybe then Ruby wouldn't get those nightmares."

Yang's voice wavered violently, threatening to break. "Maybe then I wouldn't get them either."

Blake struggled out of Yang's hug-hold, and instead wrapped her arms around the slightly shorter girl, front-on. Yang hugged her back, silent for once in her life. But now, the silence was threatening, and it was deadly, and it didn't make Blake feel comfortable at all.

"It's fine. You're fine. See?" she said. The raven-haired girl had no idea how to comfort someone, and she fumbled with her words.

Thankfully, Yang nodded, resting her chin on the taller girl's shoulder.

"I guess you're right. I still am kinda dumb," Yang choked out a laugh, this time sounding a little more genuine. Blake just rolled her eyes, smiling wanly. Maybe, just for a little while, they were back to the status quo.

After a few moment, they separated.

"You, uh, wanna head back?" Yang grinned, her voice returning to its normal, bouncy tone. Blake nodded, and let Yang lead her by the hand back down the hallway.

The halls were a little chilly, and Blake felt that familiar chill spread down her bones as the two walked, hand-in-hand. This time, the silence was natural, calm, and comforting. She didn't feel the need to disturb it, though she wondered how long Yang would last.

"Hey, uh, Blake?"

Not long, apparently.

"Mm?" Blake mumbled under her breath in acknowledgement. Yang scratched the side of her head, refusing to make eye contact. The only part of them that touched were their hands, clasped together.

"You know, if, uh, you ever wanted to talk about the, uh," Yang lowered her voice, "White Fang, or anything, I'm here." It came out disjointed, and Yang's confidence clearly wavered. Either that, or, like herself, the golden-haired girl wasn't all that used to the 'mushy stuff' as their young leader would have put it.

"Thanks," Blake murmured, blinking in appreciation. Yang's face turned the slightest shade of pink, and her hand suddenly felt hotter. Blake chose to ignore it.

Eventually, they reached they own dorm room, and tiptoed inside. Yang nearly tripped over in the darkness, leaving Blake to suddenly catch her from behind to avoid waking up the other two. Blake gazed at the opposing bunks, and realised something.

"Yang," she nudged the other girl, "Weiss isn't in her bed."

In fact, if she looked closer, Weiss was in…Ruby's bed. Or, to put it simply, they were sleeping in the same bed. The corners of Yang's mouth twitched upwards in a goofy smile, and she let out a tiny squeak.

"They're adorable," the golden-haired girl cooed. Blake rolled her eyes.

"Shit." Yang suddenly paused. Blake tilted her head questioningly.

"Ruby probably…had another nightmare, and I wasn't there. Shit. She always comes and sleeps with me when that happens," Yang put her hands to her head in panic, "Oh my god, she must have felt so scared."

Blake squeezed Yang's hand, and the golden-haired girl looked at Blake for reassurance.

"Weiss probably said something. Ruby's fine," she said, gazing at the two with amusement. "We should probably head to bed, too."

Even if she didn't sleep much, Blake did need to sleep sometimes. Yang, apparently, needed all the sleep she could get, as shown by the girl's tendency to sleep in. She shivered again, despite the warmth of the room. Yang smiled, and gestured towards Blake's bed.

"Wanna sleep with me tonight?" she whispered, and Blake nodded, though she knew the offer was more for Yang's benefit than hers. Still, as the two settled into bed beside each other, Blake noted that sleeping next to the golden-haired girl was like sleeping next to a warm, warm heater.

It really was nice, Blake noted, as her thoughts collided, and she settled into the best sleep she'd had that week.

* * *

_Thanks, everyone! This is technically the end, but I did consider expanding the story to feature Weiss's nightmare and Blake's nightmare. Let me know what you think :)! I hope you enjoyed this little mini-ficlet._


	3. Chapter 3

**Whoops, look at that xD. I wrote another White Rose chapter, this time featuring Weiss's nightmare. Blake's nightmare will come next~ Enjoy everyone!**

Ruby Rose was used to waking up in the middle of the night. What she was not used to, however, was the bitter, bitter cold that seemed to flow into their dorm room from every conceivable crack. This time, her insomnia wasn't due to the nightmares, but the temperature. Who knew Beacon could be so frosty? Thankfully, the nightmares had come less and less frequently as of late - whenever they did happen, though, Ruby would sheepishly awaken Weiss, who would, despite a grumpy expression, offer a comforting place to sleep. Somehow, it was beginning to help. The nightmares hadn't stopped by any means, and Ruby doubted that they ever would - but even a little bit of improvement was better than nothing.

She stared at the ceiling, pulling up her sheets around her shoulders and curling into a ball to try and conserve heat. Across the room, Yang slept soundly, limbs askew and blanket tossed aside. Ruby didn't understand her elder sister's incredible ability to sleep - it was a talent, if nothing else. Shivering again, Ruby tried to curl tighter in on herself, but to no avail - the cold lapped at her skin as if she were wearing no blankets at all.

The room was dark, as expected of midnight, but tidbits of moonlight streamed through their window. The curtains, black and transparent, blew in the slight draft, and Ruby suddenly came to the conclusion that the open window was probably the reason it was so cold. It wasn't like her team to leave the windows open, however. Regardless, this was probably the cause of the problem, and so Ruby decided she had to fix it. Shivering, she outstretched a hand, trying to reach out to the window latch.

Suddenly, her bed lurched, creaking painfully, and Ruby threw her weight back, trying to avoid falling to the floor in an ungainly clutter as had happened more than once before. Creaking, creaking, her bed's complaints slowly subsided as the rocking eased, and Ruby admitted to herself that she'd have to climb down to shut it. Which, as it happened, brought about the risk of waking Weiss up.

Though she was a source of comfort when Ruby really needed it, the ice queen didn't take to being woken up prematurely for any other reason well at all. The younger girl would have gone so far as to say she feared the older girl if she were ever to invoke Weiss's true ire.

However, this was a risk Ruby knew she had to take. It was simply too cold to sleep, and they had a test tomorrow. Sleep was essential, it was necessary.

Steeling herself, Ruby dangled a single foot down, letting it rest against the tip of Weiss's bed. Then, she waited.

After a few moments of tension broiling in her stomach, nothing happened, somewhat relieved, Ruby brought the other foot down, as gently and as quietly as she could, stepped down off of her bed and onto the floor. To the younger girl's delight, she managed to avoid making a 'thud' sound as she landed. It was a good beginning, Ruby admitted to herself. Now for the meat of her plan.

The window was simple enough to close, and as she did so, Ruby felt the constant cool breeze vanish, leaving only chilled air behind. With time, however, it would warm, and maybe then, maybe then finally Ruby could get some sleep.

Turning back to the bed, the girl felt apprehension in her stomach and a tinge of pride at having gotten this far without having been caught. Suddenly, Ruby's stomach lurched as she saw Weiss sit up in bed, rubbing her eyes. Crap. This was bad, this was really bad. Ruby's heart fell as the ice queen turned to stare at her.

However, what really caught Ruby's attention were the tears running down Weiss's cheeks, and the eyes that reminded her of a wounded child.

Was Weiss...crying?

Ruby took a step towards the girl, cautiously. Suddenly looking away, Weiss turned over on her side, facing away from Her as if she were in a hurry to do so. The Ruby rested a knee on the older girl's bed, approaching her with hesitance.

"Weiss," she whispered, taking care to say her words as softly as possible, "Are you okay?"

The younger girl waited a few more moments, but received no response other than her senior pulling the covers over her shoulders. Ruby tilted her head, worried, and reached out a hand to Weiss's shoulder, shaking her gently. Still, she received no response, as if the girl was faking being asleep. Was she? Slowly, Ruby's shaking intensified.

"Weiss, hey!" she breathed, resisting the urge to raise her voice and shaking the girl's shoulder all the more intently.

Suddenly, Ruby felt a stinging, searing pain across her cheek, and she flinched away from the sudden painful sensation. When she opened her eyes, Weiss was staring at her own hands with wide eyes.

The ice queen, now sat up in bed, glanced at her hands, then Ruby's face, then her hands again. She turned back to Ruby, who had placed a hand on her cheek in an attempt to soothe the pain.

"R-ruby, I-I," Weiss began, her voice trembling and shaking almost as much as her body, "I'm s-sor-ry-"

Ruby placed a finger on the girl's lips, forcing a smile despite the sting in her cheek and the tears forming in her eyes.

"Sssh. It's fine. You're fine."

The younger girl edged into Weiss's bed slowly, one leg at first, than the other, and then she slid a little under the covers. The older girl made no efforts to resist, instead turning her back on Ruby and facing the wall again. The younger girl's arms snaked around the ice queen's waist, tugging her just a little closer, trying to emulate what Weiss had done for her. However, the older girl stiffened rather than relaxed, and Ruby found herself hugging a frigid doll rather than a person.

"Hey," she murmured, "Did you have a nightmare?"

It was quite a few moments before the younger girl felt the tiniest of nods. Ruby felt Weiss, as the minutes began to pass, relax into her embrace. The younger girl nuzzled into the ice queen's hair. It was down, silky smooth and smelt oddly of...snow. It was a fresh, clean scent, however, and Ruby liked it.

"Your hair smells nice," the younger girl whispered, the traces of a smile appearing in her face.

In hindsight, it probably wasn't the best idea to have mentioned that, because Weiss stiffened again, and huddled closer in on herself. Ruby smacked herself internally, reminding herself of the pain on her cheek.

"Sorry, Weiss," she breathed, wrapping her arms around the girl just a little tighter.

It took many minutes, but slowly the ice queen began to unfurl herself and softened into Ruby's embrace. The younger girl rested her chin on the elder's shoulder, praying she wasn't getting too close for Weiss's comfort. Thankfully, her partner made no sudden movements, but remained relaxed, though tension crawled through her muscles.

"Um," Ruby wasn't sure whether or not to speak, but ended up mumbling, "was it about back home?"

Weiss hadn't chosen to share much of her home life, but Ruby knew it had been...'difficult', as Weiss herself had described it. It seemed to be the common theme in the older girl's nightmares, but she'd never heard her open up about it. The younger girl felt torn between satisfying her innate curiosity, and holding back to respect Weiss's privacy.

Quickly, this time, Ruby felt her partner's head dip, and for once she knew she'd hit the bullseye. Painfully making a decision, she decided not to press Weiss any further. If the older girl wanted to speak, she would, but Ruby felt as if it was pointless to push her any further than she wanted to go. Whereas Ruby was someone who could open up to many, Weiss was far more private.

Instead, Ruby brushed her thumb against the ice queen's cheekbone, wiping away the tears that still lingered. The younger girl smiled into her partner's neck, hugging her tight and snuggling closer. As the moments passed, Ruby felt Weiss's face from a tiny, pained smile.

"You don't need to force yourself," Ruby murmured, rubbing her cheek gently against the older girl's, like a cat.

"Mmhmm," came the first words she'd heard Weiss say all night without shaking.

They cuddled for a while, Weiss seemingly pacified, at least for now. Removing one hand from their embrace, Ruby tugged the covers up over her shoulders. Cuddling with Weiss was certainly a lot warmer than sleeping alone, but it was still chilly. Despite her nickname and demeanour, Weiss's body was like a tiny oven, and Ruby wrapped the sheets around the both of them to maintain that. There wasn't any point in getting cold.

Still, she placed a hand on her cheek again. It still stung, and Ruby imagined it was a little red too. The downsides of comforting Weiss, she supposed, releasing the tiniest of grunts in discomfort.

Suddenly, the older girl turned over, burying her face into Ruby's chest.

"Hm?" Ruby felt a little surprised at Weiss's sudden forwardness - the girl typically hid away in any moments of emotional jeopardy. However, here she was, cuddling Ruby front-on in a full body hug.

"Is your cheek okay?" Weiss mumbled, hiding her expression. Her voice sounded wobbly and pained, but Ruby shrugged her shoulders.

"It stings a little," she whispered, "but it's okay."

Ruby tried to keep her voice soft and warm, as Weiss did whenever the tables were turned. It was harder than the older girl made it out to be.

Suddenly, the ice queen lifted her head, and Ruby felt soft, cool lips press against the red mark on her cheek. Then, they drew away, and suddenly she couldn't see Weiss's expression as the older girl hid her face, burying it in Ruby's chest again.

The younger girl felt her face flush red, but wasn't sure what to do about it, as Weiss was clinging to her with her fingernails digging in.

"There," Weiss mumbled, hiding her own blush. "I used to do that with Winter. Now it'll get better, see?"

Ruby suddenly felt extremely warm, through embarrassed, stunned into silence. Weiss's fingernails stopped pressing against her back, and slowly the two began to relax into each other's embrace again. Weiss shivered, every now and then, though not from the cold.

As the two slowly managed to regain their composure, Ruby heard Weiss mumble, "Sorry for hitting you..."

Ruby smiled, feeling her heart warm a little. She snuggled down closer to the older girl, pressing their cheeks together.

"It's okay...it's better, see?" Ruby murmured back, stifling a yawn. She missed Weiss's lips forming a tiny smile.

Minutes, or maybe even hours passed, and neither of them said anything. They just cuddled, snuggled together and wrapped in the blankets like caterpillars in cocoons, cheeks pressed together, smiling. Sometimes they would gaze into the blue or the silver of the other's eyes, and sometimes they would press their foreheads together, eyes closed and mouth smiling.

But as time passed, so did their ability to stay awake. Ruby yawned every few minutes, and Weiss's eyelids began to droop.

"Goodnight, Weiss," Ruby mumbled, snuggling closer, "I love you,"

"Goodnight," Weiss murmured in reply, her eyes already shut. "I love you too,"

They closed their eyes, cuddled in each other's embrace, warm and close. It didn't take long before their breathing slowed, and the two were asleep, in each other's arms.

Neither of them realised their mistaken words until the morning after.


	4. Chapter 4

Yang Xiao-Long's breath caught in her throat as her eyes flipped open like a switch. Her unwelcome guest, the nightmare, was back. Though the images of splintering wood had since changed to darkness, her heart still beat at the speed of light. The golden-haired girl brought a hand to her chest, feeling her heart pound as she tried to register that it was over, the nightmare was over and she didn't have to relive it, not again, not again.

Yang sighed as her breathing began to slow, feeling her stomach settle more and more with each coming second. The nerves in her chest finally eased, and she allowed herself to sit up and acknowledge her surroundings. She was at Beacon, and Ruby was safe. Yang rubbed her eyes as exhaustion flooded over her, her usual energy sapped by fear and panic. However, despite all of it, she'd been...improving. Maybe it was being at Beacon, or maybe it was rooming with not just one but three other powerful Huntresses-in-Training, but something about her situation meant those nightmares had come less and less often. For Yang, it was almost a relief. She used to be able to count on one hand the nights in a month she'd spend the night without Ruby asleep at her side. Now she didn't have to worry about waking up her little sister so often, with panic in her eyes and fear in her heart.

But even so, every now and then she'd wake up nigh on screaming, her heart seizing and her breath catching as she woke in a cold sweat. For Yang, it appeared that tonight was one of those nights. Yet, it was less severe. She wasn't screaming, she could breathe, and though she felt a little unsettled, nothing felt impossible, as it had so often done. It was an improvement, and Yang would take as many as she could get.

Bringing the sheets up to her shoulders again, the golden-haired girl turned on her side, closing her eyes as she prepared to once again dive into the void, and hope her dreams didn't contain another painful memory. It was getting better, Yang decided. Better was good. Better was...better.

She wasn't really good with words. That was more Blake's forte.

Yang sighed, not really out of any particular emotion, but more out of general appreciation of her new life at Beacon. It was, like everything, an improvement.

Suddenly, she heard a rustle from beneath her. Yang's eyes snapped open again. Beneath her, a rustle sounded again. Then, a creak, as if someone had sat up in bed. Determined to investigate, Yang dangled her head over the side of the bed. Her hair hung from her head in a golden tangle of knots, knots and more knots.

"Blake?" she whispered, though it was really more of a shout-whisper than an actual attempt at keeping quiet. As Yang peered at the girl beneath her bunk, she could see that Blake indeed was sitting up, her blankets pooling at her feet. The Faunus girl blinked in surprise, as if startled, then shuddered.

"Shh," the girl hissed, avoiding eye contact.

Yang just tilted her head. "What's up? How come you're awake?"

Once again, the dark-haired girl avoided eye contact, keeping silent. Frowning, Yang righted herself, sitting back up on her head. She heard Blake sigh in relief, and chuckled to herself. Then, the golden-haired girl swung down onto the lower bunk, Blake recoiling in utter shock.

"What are you doing?" she hissed, her ears flattening against her head. Yang shrugged nonchalantly, nightmare forgotten. "You'll wake everyone else up! Go back to bed!"

Yang raised an eyebrow, surprised at Blake's usual cool demeanour being disposed of in favour of hastiness and hostility.

"What's up?" she said, tilting her head. Her mouth tipped into an expression of concern. "How come you're awake? You're all panicky, too."

Blake's shoulders were slightly hunched over, her blankets askew and her body tense. If Yang watched closely, she could see the Faunus girl's body heave slightly with every breath, as if she were only just catching it.

"Nothing's up," Blake insisted, eyes narrowed lightly and ears perking up as normal again. "Everything's fine. You're gonna wake the others up, okay?"

Yang's gave Blake a look of shrewd disbelief. "Blake, you look like someone dragged you through a hedge backwards. Something is clearly up." The girl's black hair was matted with knots, somewhat unlike bedhead but at the same time unusual for the girl who was typically so quiet and composed. Blake kept quiet, and Yang stared at her, eyes narrowed. Lavender met amber, and the two stared for seconds, minutes even.

Finally, Blake relented. She looked to the side, gazing down at the bed with a pained look on her face.

"I..." the girl sighed. "..had a nightmare."

Yang suddenly stood up, extending a hand to the Faunus girl.

"Say no more," she said, grinning warmly. "Get up, and let's go."

Blake blinked a number of times and she was lifted to her feet. "W-where are we going?"

Yang grabbed the duvet off of Blake's bed and wrapped it around the girl's shoulders, leading her towards the door. Blake looked around in confusion.

"We," said Yang, smiling, "are going to the kitchen. Hot chocolate. Me. You. Now."

Blake had no time to speak as she was dragged out of their shared dorm room, and into the hallway. Her ears twitched, shocked and...a little pleased. Yang grasped her hand with a surprising gentleness that Blake hadn't expected from the physically strongest girl on their team. The older girl just grinned back at her. Yang wasn't mad at the Faunus girl; everyone had nightmares sometimes.

The hallways were chilly; leading directly outside meant hanging out in the hallways at midnight was a chilly pastime. Thankfully, the two didn't delay in making their way to the Beacon Student Kitchen - essentially, the 'hang-out' for the students when they weren't busy training, attending classes, or sleeping.

Yang opened the door to the kitchen, dragging Blake along by the hand. The Faunus girl still seemed bewildered, or at least somewhat stunned into silence. Though really, with Blake, it could have meant anything. As Weiss had put ever-so-tactfully a few days prior, being moody, quiet and antisocial was kind of her 'thing'.

The kitchen itself wasn't particularly large - there were cupboards and stovetops and microwaves along the walls, with an island in the middle and stools to sit at.

"Up you go," Yang murmured as she guided Blake onto a stool, re-wrapping the duvet around the Faunus girl's shoulders. Blake just sat there, confused but somewhat pleased, her eyebrows raising in amusement as the bad mood from her bad dreams began to float away.

Yang kept her hands busy as she retrieved two mugs from the cupboard, spooning a heap of cocoa into each. Then, she headed to the fridge, filling both up to the top with milk, and microwaved them. Blake watched in awe as Yang deftly maneuvered about the kitchen, as if it was second nature. Seconds later, Yang removed the mugs, bringing one to her nose and smiling as she inhaled.

She set a mug down in front of Blake, and sat down beside her, close but not too close.

"Now," Yang said, smiling warmly at the girl beside her, "Talk. Spill the beans. What's up?"

Blake gazed down at mug of hot chocolate. Deep, rich cocoa-colour against a white background. The wisps of bubbles still lingered, and the concoction still turned in an anti-clockwise motion from Yang's stirring. It steamed a little, and it's warm, sweet scent washed over her. Blake sighed, resigning herself as Yang blinked, staring intently at her with a goofy smile. She wouldn't get anywhere unless she spoke up.

"It's the White Fang," she admitted with a hint of helplessness in her voice. Blake looked to the side, only to have her vision jerked back as Yang slung an arm around her.

"Didn't we already say we'd do something about it as a team?" Yang looked questioningly at the Faunus girl, and brought her mug to her lips, sipping at it. Blake stared at her mug, still on the counter-top, untouched. She shrugged her shoulders, still unsatisfied.

"Yeah, but we haven't said anything else about it," Blake said, her usual stoniness returning in the tone of her voice. "Saying we'll make plans is fine and all, but unless we do something about it, it's just empty talk."

Yang sipped at her hot chocolate, resting her cheek on her fist, and her elbow on the table. Blake continued, stopping herself from hissing in frustration.

"We need to be out there, gathering information, trying to figure out what they're planning!" Blake's voice got louder and louder until she was almost shouting. "I could get into a White Fang recruitment meeting, maybe, too."

Yang poked the Faunus girl's cheek lazily. Blake frowned, but didn't lean away.

"You," Yang said, smiling lopsidedly and raising a single eyebrow, "are speaking really loudly."

Blake felt a rush of heat spread across her face, and she stared into her lap, ears flat against her head. "S-sorry," she said, her voice decidedly hushed. "I just want us to take this seriously."

Yang grinned again, ruffling black hair. "It's cool," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "I love it when you're feisty." Blake's face went pink.

The golden-haired girl sipped at her hot chocolate again, releasing a satisfied 'aah~'. Blake stared into hers, and brought it to her lips, earning her a smile from her partner. "There we go."

Yang looked to the side, twisting her mouth to the side as she thought. "I think I know a guy on the shady side of town who might have some info for me," she mused, scratching the side of her head. Blake's eyes light up, amber brimming with excitement.

"Weiss could see if her father's company has any records," Blake suggested, ears pricking up again. "And Ruby..."

"...could go with Weiss," Yang interjected smoothly. "The ice queen'd get all frosty on us again if we made her do something by herself. You know how lonely she gets."

Blake just rolled her eyes. "You're probably right," she admitted, letting a smile spread across her face. Yang grinned in tandem, happy she was finally starting to make her partner feel just a little bit better. Suddenly, the golden-haired girl shivered. Blake lifted the duvet, offering her partner a space beside her, and Yang quickly complied, snuggling up next to the Faunus girl and wrapping the duvet around both of their shoulders. It was warm, mostly, Yang noted as their shoulders touched. The two sipped at their hot chocolates in contented silence, satisfied with their baby of a plan. Eventually, it was Blake who broke the silence.

"I had a dream about it, actually, " she said, staring into her mug. "Ruby, Weiss, even you - Torchwick killed you all. I was the only one left. It was horrible," she finished, shuddering. Yang's expression dropped from contentedness to concern in seconds, and Blake found herself in the golden-haired girl's embrace.

"Well, it's okay now, alright?" Yang spoke firmly, but warmly. "Your dream's over, and we're all still here. And we're gonna smash the crap out of Torchwick and his buddies. Okay?"

Blake nodded, already calmed but now feeling a little more pacified. "Mmhmm," she mumbled into Yang's hair.

After a few moments of their embrace, Yang kissed Blake's forehead. The Faunus girl wasn't sure whether or not to be embarrassed. Yang didn't seem to think much of it, however, as the golden-haired girl rested her chin on the table.

"I'm tired," the girl said as she released a huge yawn. "I might just sleep riiiight here..."

Blake smiled, genuinely, and rested her cheek on her palm as she gazed her sleepy partner.

"Then just do it," she said, surprising herself as she said it. Yang smiled, yawning again.

"I do love it when you're feisty..."

Blake just rolled her eyes, a warm feeling budding in her chest. Yang, though she was loud, was actually a really good listener sometimes. The Faunus girl gazed at her happily as the golden-haired girl drifted off. She could hear her partner breathing softly in her sleep, torso rising and falling evenly. It was nice, really, being able to watch something so peaceful.

Eventually, Blake felt her eyelids, begin to droop.

She vaguely remembered resting her head on Yang's back, and draping her arms over the girl, before falling fast asleep.

* * *

**Thanks, everyone, for sticking with this story, and thank you very much for the reviews and favourites/follows! Unfortunately, this is where the Nightmares Saga draws to a close :). **

**This was only ever meant to be a two-shot, but lookie here, it got extended xD.**

**If anyone's interested, I'm going to be starting an exchange student AU for RWBY soon, featuring French Blake and German Weiss, and of course, White Rose/Bumbleby. **

**You can find me at seacatsinspace tumblr if you'd like to contribute headcanons/ideas, too! All of the posts for the AU are tagged 'rwby exchange/transfer student AU' if you'd like to find them. Thanks again guys!**


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